The Change Within ON HIATUS
by Jasper's Darlin' Kathy
Summary: This is a Peter/Bella story set during New Moon. Edward leaves Bella in the forest, and a familiar stranger finds her. Can he bring her back from the darkness? Why is he drawn to her? Rated MA for adult content. Slow build but lemons in the future.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, here is my new story. I also have it posted on fanfictionfrenzy dot net If you haven't been on that site yet, well what the hell are you waiting for? I hope you enjoy this. Many thanks to my beta and bestie cullen818. Without her, this story wouldn't be possible.

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the storyline. The super fantastic SM is kind enough to allow us to play with her characters.

Rating: M for language and future lemons.

PPOV

I was on my way into town when I had to quickly turn around and get home. All I could think at the moment was, _Not my Charlotte_. If that bitch touched her, I would fucking kill her. I pushed my truck as fast as she could go and made it home in record time.

As soon as I opened the door to my truck, I was assaulted with the one scent I hoped to never smell again. _Maria_. I ran into the house, but it was futile. I knew my Charlotte was gone. I spotted a note on the table and quickly ran over to it.

With shaky hands, a vampire with shaky hands, I read the note.

Peter,

By now you have figured out that I have taken Charlotte. If you attempt to try and find us, you will fail. As I'm sure that tricky little gift of yours has already let you know of that. Your wife belongs to me. You are more than welcome to join us, but you cannot have her back. If you know what's best for you; you wouldn't fuck with me. I always get exactly what I want and what I want is your wife. I will leave you with your thoughts for a few days and then I will call and see if you'd like to join us. Don't even fucking think about lying to me. I will know if you speak of the truth.

Maria

The bitch. The fucking bitch. I would rip her apart and burn the pieces. I had to find her, but where to start? I couldn't pick up a scent except as soon as I opened the truck door.

I breathed in hoping to pick up that retched bitch's scent; I ran outside and took off into the woods, but it was useless. Nothing. That's what I was searching for because I couldn't fucking smell her.

Since I couldn't smell her that could only mean one thing. The bitch drove here. Why didn't I know this was going to happen before it happened? I went back into the house and as I plopped down onto the couch, my phone rang.

I yanked it out of my pocket, ripping the fabric of my jeans; not even looking to see who it was, I answered.

"Hello."

"Hello, Peter." I was met with the voice that I never wanted to hear again.

"Give her back to me, you fucking bitch."

"Sorry, but I can't and even if I wanted to; your wife wants to stay with me."

Before I could say anything, I heard my wife's voice asking to speak to me.

"Charlotte." I breathed.

"It's me, Peter." She sounded really annoyed, which I was assuming was because Maria had kidnapped her.

"Peter, I want you to move on. We are through. You will be receiving divorce papers soon. Sign them and then move on with your life." Her voice sounded so detached.

"What? You've got to be fucking kidding me? That bitch is making you do this."

"No! This is what I want. You don't even fucking know me. I have always wanted Maria and she finally came back for me. Just let me go."

And with that the line went dead. She wanted me to just let her go. That was four months ago. I signed the fucking divorce papers as soon as they came in and sent them back to the address that was on the envelope.

I didn't bother looking for her; I couldn't. How could I spend one hundred-sixty years with someone and not know they wanted someone else. I felt like an idiot, an utter and complete moron. So much for my fucking gift; it never fucking helped me.

I couldn't take it anymore, I had to get out of here. Forks. I would go to Forks and visit my brother, Jasper. He would help me through this. I quickly ran up to my room and packed some clothes.

I could always buy more clothes later; I didn't want to bring so much with me. I decided to run, I could always come back with Jasper and pick up my truck. I made sure everything was locked and took off into the woods with my bag on my shoulder.

It would only be a two day run and I loved running. It would give me time to clear my head before I bombarded Jasper with what happened. And clear my head was exactly what I did; while I ran, I thought of nothing, just running.

The two days passed and I came across the sign letting me know that I had arrived in Forks. I stayed in the woods, darting behind peoples' houses. I picked up the scent of a vampire; I followed it, but when I got to where it was most concentrated I found a human instead.

A very broken looking human. She was on the forest floor sobbing. Oh and she smelled delicious. I could take her and drain her before anybody even realized she was missing. I walked closer to the girl and she never even looked up at me.

When I was finally able to see her face, I froze. It was like looking at an angel, she looked so pure and innocent. But she smelled of our kind, in fact she reeked of vampire. What could that mean? She couldn't have possibly been with a vampire who would then leave her in the woods, right?

I walked towards her until I was right next to her and kneeled down. I stared at her for a moment hoping she would open her eyes, but she didn't.

In the softest voice I could muster, I spoke. "Are you okay?" I didn't know why I cared, but I did and for some strange reason I wanted to protect this fragile little girl.

She opened her eyes and stared at me for a moment. She kept repeating _he left_, over and over. I scooped her up in my arms and followed her scent out of the woods, where I found a house.

"I'm going to take you home, okay?" She shook her head and began crying even harder. I couldn't understand, what could have happened to her? And who left? Was she talking about the vampire that I smelled on her and in her house?

Why would she have a vampire in her house? I walked into the living room and paused for a moment, I should probably take her up to her room. I walked up the stairs and paused, there were four doors, but which was the one to her room.

She was sobbing, uncontrollably, so I began opening doors. The first was a closet, the second was the bathroom, and the third was a man's room, probably her fathers. I walked to the fourth door and opened it, the scent of the vampire was intense in her room.

She had a fucking vampire in her room, what the fuck? I walked over to her bed and was about to lay her down when she clutched onto me with strength I didn't know she possessed.

"Please." Was all she whispered. I held her with one arm and reached with my other to remove her fingers from my shirt. She was so warm against me and I didn't know how much longer I could handle her warmth.

A whimper escaped her lips and I immediately stopped moving. I looked down at the girl in my arms and she was staring at me with such sadness and hurt in her eyes that I nearly doubled over.

"You know what I am, don't you?" I asked.

"You're a vampire." She sounded so broken.

I sat on the bed with her still in my arms. "How do you know about vampires?"

I was breathing deeply and though her scent was mouthwatering, I didn't have the urge to drain her. No, the urge to protect her was overpowering my thirst.

She didn't answer me. "Why does your room smell of a vampire?"

"He was in here and he left me." She spoke through sobs.

"What do you mean he left you?" And then I knew, they were mated. That's why she was broken because he broke her heart when he left. But how? How was he able to leave her if they were mated?

"Were you mated with a vampire?" I had to know what happened to her and for some strange reason, I wanted to help her.

"He was my boyfriend. He left, said he didn't want me anymore; he said he was tired of pretending to be something he wasn't, that I wasn't good enough." She broke down into sobs again, clutching at my shirt.

I held her close, but I remembered to be careful, for she was fragile and very breakable. She cried for what seemed like hours and I noticed that the longer I held her in my arms, the more I wanted to hold her.

I kept reminding myself that she was human, but it didn't matter. I knew that I wanted to protect her and I knew that I wanted to help her. I needed to go to Jasper and tell him of this girl, but she was still very much in need of comfort.

I moved to place her in her bed and she looked up at me and I got lost looking into her beautiful brown eyes. I raised my hand and carefully wiped away her tears with my thumb. Her face was flushed and warmer than the rest of her body.

I cupped her cheek in my palm and she leaned into my touch. She probably relished in the cold against her flushed face. Surprisingly enough, her scent didn't make venom pool in my mouth or my throat burn. I couldn't understand why because she was my natural food source.

I turned and lay her down on the mattress and she gave me a pleading look. "Please, don't leave me." She begged.

It felt like my cold, dead, and un-beating heart would break. "I won't leave you. I promise."

"Ever?" She asked.

"Never. I would never leave you, unless it was to go hunting, but I would always come back to you." As the words were coming out of my mouth, I could hear the truth in them. I would always come back to her, no matter what.

She nodded and closed her eyes. After a few moments, her breathing and heart rate slowed; she was sleeping. I took the opportunity to pry her fingers from my shirt and decided that now would be the time to go to Jasper.

I climbed out of her bed and just as I was about to walk out of her bedroom door, I heard a car pull up in the driveway. I fucking froze and then the door opened on the vehicle and closed. I didn't even fucking breathe; I just stood there frozen.

Panic set in as the front door was unlocked and opened. "Bella?" A man's voice called.

Who the fuck was that? I went over to the window and pushed it open. I climbed out and slid the window closed and dropped to the ground. I ran to the trees and climbed up. From where I was sitting, I could see into Bella's room and I was quite capable of seeing her sleeping form.

The man walked into her room and watched her for a moment with a smile on his face. Her father. He turned and walked out her room and I jumped down from the tree. I took off running towards Jasper's home and when I got there, I found it completely empty.

What the fuck? I was immediately assaulted by her scent. It was a few days old, but she had been here. This was where her boyfriend lived; it had to have been Edward. He was the only single one that lived with Jaspers' family.

I walked up the steps and peered through the window; I could see their furniture, but that didn't mean anything. All my homes were still completely furnished; even the ones that I haven't lived in for years.

I shoved the window opened and climbed inside. I don't know why I went inside, I knew they weren't here, but I still felt like I needed to look around. Her scent was so strong in the house. I walked around the bottom floor and finally made my way up the stairs.

Her scent was even stronger up here; I paused at the closed door. I opened the door and smelled Jasper, what would she have been doing in this room? Unless she was in here with Jasper's wife.

I closed the door and walked further down the hall; I climbed another set of stairs and her scent was the strongest up here. I opened the door and I also smelled who I was assuming had to be Edward. This must have been his room; I closed the door and ran down the stairs.

I needed to get back to her and find out what made them leave. If she was mated with a vampire, then something terrible must have happened for him to leave his mate. I climbed back out the window and slid it closed. I ran back to her house and quickly scaled the side of the house.

I opened her window and climbed in; her back was facing me, but I could tell from her breathing that she was awake. I walked over to her bed and sat next to her. She didn't move or acknowledge me; she just lay completely still, only breathing.

"So what's your name?" I figured since I would be staying for a while, the first thing I needed to do was find out her name.

"Bella." She spoke her name in barely a whisper.

"Well Bella, I'm Peter. Would you like to tell me what caused your mate to leave? Because usually when vampires mate it's for eternity."

She turned to face me only to bury her head in my chest and inhale deeply. I would leave the issue at hand alone for now, but soon she would have to tell me what happened.

I wrapped my arms carefully around her and held her close. She snuggled into my chest even more and quickly fell asleep. I held her like that all night and I relished in having her in my arms.

I figured it was because I hadn't had a woman in my arms for a few months, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I wanted to have her in my arms. I wanted to hold her, to feel her body pressed against mine. I needed to call Jasper and get his take on things, but I would wait till morning.

So what did yall think? Press that little green button and tell me your thoughts. JKD


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, here it is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy. Thank you all so much for the huge response that I got on the first chapter. I can't thank you enough. **

**I own nothing, which sucks a lot. A huge thank you goes to my beta Cullen818, without her none of this would be possible. **

PPOV

I held Bella until she started to moan in her sleep, stirring in my arms. She was having a dream. I decided to pull her closer to me and whisper soothing words in her ear. It seemed to work and she quieted down. I reached down and pulled my phone out of my pocket.

I dialed the number and pressed the send button. I couldn't wait for morning; I had to know what happened between Bella and Edward. What would cause a vampire to leave their mate behind?

"Peter?" he answered, although it sounded like a question.

"Yes Jasper, it's me. How have you been?" I asked.

"Fine, how have you been?" he questioned.

"Well, let's see. Charlotte left me for Maria so I came to look for you, but all I found was a broken hearted human. Care to tell me what the fuck is going on?" I asked.

"Peter, you stay away from her," he snarled.

"Stay away from her? I'm not going to hurt her. I…" he cut me off.

"You feed from humans and if you hurt her…" now it was my time to cut him off.

"You'll what? I'm not going to hurt her. I have this overwhelming urge to protect her, but I have to know what happened. Tell me."

He sighed, "How much do you know?"

"All I know is that she was mated with Edward and he left. He told her some bullshit about being tired of pretending to be something he wasn't and that she wasn't good enough for him. So, what I want to know is what caused him to leave his mate?" I asked.

"Me," he said.

"You? How are you the cause of this?"

"I tried to attack her on her birthday. She cut her finger on the paper of one of her presents and I snapped. Emmett and Rosalie pulled me out of the house, but the damage was already done and Edward made up his mind the moment it happened." He spoke so quietly, I almost didn't hear him.

"What was his reason? That his brother tried to attack his mate?" I was pissed, no I was beyond pissed.

"Peter, it wasn't like that. He left her because she doesn't belong in our world."

"You don't believe that anymore than I do. I can hear it in your voice and if you were in front of me, I would see it in your eyes. She belongs in our world. It is her fate, her destiny." I said, matter-of-factly.

"You sense it? That she belongs? Edward isn't going to go back to her. Alice keeps looking, but she doesn't see them together ever again."

"Just because she isn't with Edward, doesn't mean anything. I'm going to stay here in Forks for a while. I promised her that I wouldn't leave and I meant it. Don't try to talk me out of it."

"Peter you don't know what you are getting yourself in to. She is very clumsy and she will end up bleeding in front of you."

"And I'll what? Attack? I have more control than that. Jasper, you know me. So quit acting like I'm here for a meal because I'm not. You are my brother and your support means a lot to me."

I was almost pleading with him to believe me. I heard him sigh on the other end before he finally spoke.

"Okay, I support you and your decision to stay. Take care of Bella. She means a lot to this family, even to me. Let me know how she is doing after a while, I'd really like to apologize to her in person. I should go now, but I'll be in touch soon. Bye, brother." He hung up before I had a chance to respond.

I would take care of Bella and I would somehow find a way to heal her broken heart. I just didn't know how I was going to do that, but I would find the way and find it soon.

Bella's eyes slowly opened and she tilted her head to look at me. How could one girl have so much sadness inside her? One beautiful, human girl. I tightened my arms around her and pulled her closer to me.

"Peter, you stayed?"

"I told you I would stay and I meant it. I won't leave you."

She pulled back and looked at me. I released her from my hold and she climbed out of the bed. I watched as she walked to her dresser and grabbed some clothes. She walked to the door without looking at me.

She opened the door and spoke softly, "I'm going shower, but I'll be back soon. Please don't leave."

"Bella," I ran to her side and pulled her against my chest. "I promise that I am never going to leave you. If you want me to leave, you are going to have to tell me, okay?"

She nodded and stood on her toes, placing a soft kiss on my cheek. She walked out the door and I immediately pressed my hand to the spot that her lips touched. She was so warm against my cold, hard skin.

I walked to her bed and made it the best way that I could. Once her bed looked suitable, I sat down and waited for her to come out. The thought of making her something to eat crossed my mind, but then I remembered that I didn't know how to cook.

I heard the shower come on and then I waited for what seemed like ages before the water was turned off. She finally came back into the room and even though she was clean, the sadness was still the most dominant thing that was seen.

What she was wearing, the color of her hair, how beautiful she was, none of that was noticed. Only the look of complete and utter heartbreak that was clear in her eyes. She was pale and she stared at me as if she could see into my soul.

I stood up and walked towards her, never taking my eyes off her. I opened my arms and she walked into them without any hesitation.

"I'll make everything better, Bella." It was a promise that I intended to keep.

"How?" she breathed.

"Let's go downstairs and get you some food and maybe we can talk," I suggested.

"Okay, but I'm not really hungry." We walked down the stairs and into the small kitchen.

I sat down at the table and she went to the cabinet and grabbed a glass. She walked to the refrigerator and opened it, pulling out a jug of orange juice. She filled the glass about half way.

She put the jug back in the refrigerator and made her way back to the table. She sat down in the chair next to me. She attempted to give me a smile, but it looked more like a grimace. I reached for the hand that wasn't holding the glass and gently squeezed.

She looked down at our hands and then back up at me. "So, tell me about yourself." She spoke so quietly that I nearly missed it.

"What would you like to know?" I asked.

"Everything, I mean, where do you live? What are you doing here in Forks?" she asked.

"Well, I was living in Texas with my wife, but the bitch left me for Maria. I came to Forks to visit with Jasper, but he's no longer here." I explained.

She gasped, "You know Jasper?"

"He's my creator and brother."

She nodded, but averted her eyes. I reached up with my hand and tilted her chin to look at me.

"I'm sorry. I know that you are hurting and I wish I could take all that pain away right this second, but I can't. I do, however, know that in time the pain will lessen."

"You know from personal experience." It wasn't a question that much was clear, but I decided to answer her nonetheless.

"Yes, my wife, well ex-wife since we are divorced broke my heart, but I got over it and you will too. I didn't have help to get over the heartbreak, but you have me, okay?" I asked.

"Okay. So who is Maria?" she asked.

I sighed, "Ah, Maria. How much do you know about Jasper's past?"

"I don't know anything about Jasper's past. He wouldn't tell me anything; apparently it wasn't his story to tell or something like that." She choked back a sob as she tried to talk to me.

I felt my heart breaking for this girl. I opened my arms and again she didn't hesitate. She stood up and slowly sat in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her as close to me as possible.

I breathed in her scent, she really did smell delicious, but not in the way that I wanted to drink from her. I began running my fingers through her hair and decided that I might as well tell her about my past now and get it over with.

So, that was exactly what I did. I told her everything about me. I told her about my change, about fighting the wars with Jasper by my side, about running away with Charlotte, marrying her, and then coming home one day to find that she left me for the bitch that we ran from all those years ago. Fucking ironic was what it was.

The day passed quickly with the two of us getting to know one another. I found out that Bella was living in Phoenix with her mom and step-father, but she decided to come and stay with her father because her mom wanted to go with her husband on the road.

I found out that she was clumsy and a great student. She told me that she loved to read and was very shy. I found out that her best friend was a human named Angela, but in the vampire world, her best friend was Alice.

When she spoke of Alice, a few silent tears fell down her cheeks. I wiped them away before I could stop myself from doing so. The first week of being in Forks went by much the same. We would talk, she would cry, and I would be there to comfort her.

The worse times for me, were when she was in school. I hated not being able to be next to her. Not being able to protect her, but I would never fit in with high school kids. So, instead I would sit in the woods right outside the school, watching and listening.

A few minutes before the bell would ring; I would climb in her truck and lay down as best as I could. The first day I did that, she screamed at the top of her lungs until she realized it was me. Then she shook her head and quickly started her truck, pulling off before anybody could question her.

Bella's father was so worried about her. He would ask her every day if she was okay and if she wanted to stay home. She would simply shake her head and avoid looking at him.

When I would ask her why she refused to look at her father, she said, 'because I can't handle the look of pity in his eyes.' The only thought that was running through my head after she said that was, _I hope I don't look at her with pity because I don't pity her._

And I didn't. I never once pitied her. I wanted to fix her, I wanted to heal her. And for some reason, I wanted her to be mine. But, I knew she was not ready for a relationship, so that thought was pushed to the back of my mind.

I could see that Bella was beginning to trust me, but not nearly as much as I wanted her to. I wanted her to trust me with everything. I wanted her to know that I would never do anything to hurt her.

It was a Friday night and we were lying in her bed, which became a nightly ritual for us when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I grabbed my phone and flipped it open, not even bothering to see who was calling.

"Peter, how is Bella doing?"

"Not well, as can be expected." I answered.

"I wish there was something that I could do," he said.

I sighed, "I don't even know what to do, but I'm trying and that's all that really counts, right?"

"Right. So, I wanted to call and check on her, but I also wanted to tell you that I told the family that you were there with her."

I couldn't stop the small growl that escaped my lips, "And what? They don't want me around her?" I accused.

It was Jasper's turn to sigh, "No, you dumb fucker. They want you to keep her safe and to help her. Alice had a vision and it freaked her out. I told her that you wouldn't let anything happen…"

I cut him off, "What was the vision about?" I asked.

Bella looked up at me with silent tears streaming down her face. She knew, now who I was speaking with. I pulled her closer to me with the arm that was wrapped around her.

"Jasper, the vision?" he was quiet far too long for my liking.

"Okay, a few months back we had a run in with some nomads and one of them was a tracker, well he decided that he wanted Bella. Edward, read that in his mind and we came up with a plan to protect her." he paused for a moment and I tried to remain patient, but he was starting to irritate me.

"Just spit it the fuck out," I growled.

"Jesus, Peter. Are you with Bella right now?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well, I'm sure that you growling and acting like a total ass isn't exactly helping her right now, so maybe you could chill the fuck out and listen." He spat.

"You're right, go on."

"Bella ended up with me and Alice, but James, the tracker contacted her and claimed to have her mother and well Bella decided that she was going to rescue her mom. Fortunately, he didn't have her mother, but he did manage to get to Bella and he injured her pretty badly."

I clenched my teeth together to keep from growling again. Bella rested her head on my shoulder and I had to remind myself that she was fine, she was here in my arms, safe and completely protected.

"We killed him, but he wasn't alone."

"What? How many were with him?" I asked and I knew he could hear the anger seeping in my voice.

"There were two. His mate and another male. The male left, not wanting to fight us. Carlisle told him about the Denali coven in Alaska and he was headed there."

"The mate?" I cut him off.

"She got away."

"So let me guess, the vision is of the mate?"

"Yes, Alice had a vision of the mate, Victoria coming to Forks."

"And she is coming to Forks for her?" I didn't want to know the answer to that question, but before I could stop him from answering me, he said the one word I dreaded to hear.

"Yes, apparently she wants revenge. Or at least that's the only thing that we can come up with, but we're not really sure."

"You know that is what that bitch is coming here for. You don't have to worry though; she will not get to Bella. I'll take care of the bitch when she gets here. I'll call you later."

I hung up without waiting for a reply. I was pissed. All this time that Bella and I have talked, she never told me about this. Why? I shoved my phone back in my pocket and looked down at the girl that I was putting my life on the line for.

"Bella, why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what, Peter?"

"About James."

"Oh. I didn't think I needed to tell you about him. I mean he killed him so…" she trailed off.

"Bella, look at me," she looked up at me. "His mate, the female, she's coming to Forks and Jasper thinks it is to seek revenge. I don't want you to worry though because I will do everything I can to protect you."

She shook her head, "Don't put yourself in danger for me, Peter," She raised her hand and rested her palm against my cheek. "I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt trying to protect me."

"You don't have to worry about that sugar. I'm a damn good fighter. Now, why don't you get some rest?"

"Good night, Peter."

"Good night, Bella." I inched closer and pressed my lips to her forehead. She sighed at the contact and I watched as her eyes closed. Within a few minutes her breathing evened out and she was asleep.

I held her in my arms all night. The whole time, though I was planning on how I would torture that fucking stupid ass vampire for bringing herself to Forks to take away my girl. _My girl. _I like the way that sounded. I would be ready for the day she came here, but she wouldn't be ready for me.

**So, what did yall think? I will be going into more detail about Peter's break-up with Charlotte in the next chapter. He will share his heartbreak with Bella.**

**So my fellow naughty girls and I are having a contest. "The Best Domination Ever" want to enter? Go check out our blog for all the details at jaspersnaughtygirls dot blogspot dot com **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay so I got this chapter back from my bestie and beta way the other day and totally forgot to post it. I am so sorry, but here it is, the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. I own nothing but the storyline. Thanks to my best friend and beta, she rocks and she is so amazing. I love you, Steph!**

**BPOV**

Everything in my life was different now. Edward was gone, my whole family was gone. They didn't even say goodbye. No, they just left. I wondered if they left in the middle of the night or if they even cared how I would feel. My heart was broken and I didn't think it could ever be put back together.

I had Peter now and that seemed to help, but when he was gone the pain was unbearable. He'll get tired of me one day and leave just the rest of them. Then what will I do? Who will I have? Charlie's never here, I'll be all alone.

I learned so much about Peter in the time that he had been here. I didn't even know how long he'd been here. He said he was going to help me, but I didn't think he could. I had never felt so much pain before and I thought some days it is going to kill me.

The water suddenly turned ice cold and I realized that I was standing in the shower shaking. _How long had I been in here? _I quickly shut off the water and grabbed a towel. I dried off and pulled on my t-shirt and a pair of baggy sweatpants.

_It wasn't like I had anybody to impress, why should I care how I looked?_

I brushed my hair and finally opened the bathroom door to see Peter standing on the other side. I just stared at him and wondered how long he had been there. I always saw so much pity in my father's eyes when I looked at him, but it wasn't like that with Peter. He never looked at me that way and for that I was grateful.

Peter extended his hand to me and I took it without hesitation. I was happy that he wanted to help me, but some things just couldn't be fixed. I was one of those things, but I would never tell him that. If I did, he would leave and I didn't want him to go.

How do you survive when the love of your existence, your soul mate just ups and leaves? How do you heal from that same person telling you that they don't want you, that you're not good enough? Was it even possible to come back from that? Peter thought so. I just hoped he was right and that he really did get over his ex-wife leaving because if he was lying, then there really was no hope left for me.

I looked around and noticed that we were in my bedroom and Peter was laying me in the bed. That was odd; I didn't even know what time it was. He climbed in bed with me and pulled the covers up over my shoulders.

When he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him, I breathed a sigh of relief. Being in his arms was the only time that I ever felt at peace. I inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. He smelled so good to me, better than Edward ever did.

I closed my eyes and allowed the darkness to take over. Falling asleep was always the worst, for sleeping was when my nightmares became a reality. Everything would flash before my eyes, from my birthday party, to Jasper lunging at me, and finally Edward crushing my heart into a million pieces.

The one thing that I wanted to do was tell Jasper I never blamed him. It wasn't his fault. No, I was the dumb human that sliced her finger on a piece of wrapping paper. My life changed the second the blood appeared and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening.

I could feel someone shaking me, but the darkness wouldn't release me. The nightmare would hold onto me and I always struggled with it to let go of me. Finally, I could see the nightmare slipping away and I opened my eyes to find Peter staring at me.

"Bella, it was only a dream. It wasn't real," he whispered. If he only knew just how real the nightmare was. If he only knew that it wasn't a dream, but the worst kind of darkness. The kind that refuses to let you go, the kind that follows you around; even during the day.

I tried to stop the tears, but they betrayed me and fell from my eyes. Peter raised his hand and brushed the tears away with his thumb. I knew that he wanted to fix me, but I also had a feeling that he didn't have a clue as to how to fix me.

I shook my head, "It wasn't only a dream, Peter," I took a shuttering breath. "It was memories, haunting me. Showing me over and over what happened."

He sat up and turned on my lamp, pulling me into his lap. "Memories of what, Bella?"

I wiped at my eyes roughly, "The day he left, the birthday party, Jasper lunging for me, and the heartbreak that I felt. It was all real, all of it."

"Bella, please listen to me. I am here and I will find a way to make you better. I will always be here." He spoke so softly to me and I wanted to believe him, but Edward said he would always be with me and he left.

I leaned back and looked into his eyes, "Don't make promises that you can't keep Peter. They will only destroy me."

I turned away from him and was about to slide out of his lap when he placed his hands on either side of my face and made me look at him. He stared into my eyes for a few moments, searching for something, but I wasn't sure what.

"I'm not him and I will not leave you, ever. Even if you tell me to go away and never come back, I'll always be there; waiting and hoping that one day you'll want me to come back because I need you in my life as much as you need me," he sighed. "I need you to believe me."

I stared at him for a moment, trying to decide if believing him was the right thing to do. I moved my hand and slowly rested it against his cheek. His eyes closed and he leaned into my touch and that was when I knew that he was telling the truth. He wouldn't leave me even if it was what I wanted.

"I believe you," I whispered. "I'll never ask you to leave because I do need you. I'll always need you." I closed my eyes and leaned forward until my head was resting on his chest, never removing my hand.

I must have fallen asleep again because looking around I found that I was in bed alone and from the looks of it, I had been alone for a while. I sat up quickly, too quickly and felt all of the blood rush from my head. The dizziness was too much and I had to lie back down, but only for a moment. I sat up again, slowly this time and slid to the edge of the bed.

I stood up and immediately went to the door, flinging it opened. "Peter?" I called, but he didn't answer. _Where was he? Where could he have gone? _He was always here. He promised that he wouldn't leave and I believed him.

I didn't even try to stop the tears this time. He left without saying goodbye. _Oh God, what am I going to do? _I slid down the wall in the hallway by my door and rested my chin on my knees.

I didn't know how long I sat there crying when I decided that I had to find him. I had to beg him to come back. I couldn't do this without him. I wouldn't make it. I wouldn't survive.

I stood up and made my way downstairs. I searched for my keys, but I couldn't find them. I had to find them. I had to find him. I went back upstairs, thinking they were in my room.

I destroyed my room looking for my keys, but I never found them. The tears were coming so fast, never stopping. I fell to my knees and screamed as loud as possible. The pain was too much. I couldn't handle the pain.

I crawled over to my bed and climbed up into it, curling up in a ball. I would do anything to make the pain go away. _Why does Peter leaving hurt so much worse? _I thought that to be strange. Why would losing him be worse than losing the love of my life?

I wished the darkness would take me. At least in the darkness I could try to hide from the pain, at least until the memories came back to haunt me. I didn't know how long I had been lying there, crying. The darkness wouldn't take me away.

**PPOV**

"I came here for Bella, who are you?" She asked in a cat-like voice.

"I'm afraid that you will not be touching her."

She laughed, "And who is going to stop me? Her precious Edward isn't here, I already checked the house."

"I will be the one stopping you." I snarled.

She dropped into a crouch, "Let's see what you got, Peter."

_How the fuck did she know my name? _I dropped into a crouch before I could think about that too much.

She smirked, "Wondering how I knew your name?" she asked. "I know everything about you and that stupid human you think you are protecting."

"Oh, I don't think I am protecting her, I know I am."

"For now. How long can you wait? Will you be here with her when I come back? Or will you tire of protecting some insignificant human? She is after all our food source. I do look forward to tasting her blood. Bye, Peter."

She took off running before I had a chance to respond. I followed after her, but she was quicker than me and I didn't want to get too far away from Bella. She was probably wondering where I was and I didn't want her thinking that I wasn't coming back.

I slowed my pace and turned back towards Bella's house. I ran as fast as I could and I didn't slow down until I finally reached her backyard. She was sitting in her room, crying. _Damn it!_

She thought I left her, I knew that was what she was thinking. I scaled the side of her house and climbed through her window only to see her curled up in a ball in the middle of her bed. She had her back towards me and didn't hear me come in.

I walked over to her bed and sat down next to her. She jumped and turned to look at me. Then she sat up quickly, flinging her arms around my neck, hugging me to her. Her movements were so sudden, that she caught me off guard. I snapped out of it and wrapped my arms around her back, pulling her closer to me.

"I'll always come back, Bella. Always." I held her for the longest time, relishing in the feel of her being in my arms. I enjoyed holding her and I wanted to have her in my arms all the time, but I would never rush her.

Vampires were able to get over emotions quicker than humans and I knew that Bella's heart was still broken. I just hoped that I was helping in some way to heal her, but I had a feeling that I wasn't helping enough. I needed some advice, I needed to speak to Jasper and ask him what he thought I could do to help.

I would be calling him tonight once Bella was asleep. She held on to me even in her sleep and I refused to let her go as well. I would keep her in my arms until she told me to let her go and hopefully that wouldn't be any time soon.

I reached down and pulled my phone from my pocket, dialing his number quickly. He answered on the first ring, "Hello, Peter. How is she doing?"

"Not good," I answered. "I need your help, Jasper. I found her earlier in a ball in her bed crying and from the looks of it, she had been crying for a while. She thought I left her even though I keep telling her I will not leave her, ever."

"I'm not sure I'm the right person to help, but I'll come if you think I should," he said.

"Well yes, I think you should. Fuck, man I'm over here completely out of my element, trying to put this angel back together and I'm afraid she'll never heal. You're good with the emotional shit, so will you come?" I asked.

"I'm on my way."

"Come alone. I don't think she's ready to see everyone just yet. Hell, I'm not even sure how she will react to seeing you, but she needs it."

"Alright. Let me tell Alice goodbye and I will be there in a few hours." He hung up before I could respond, which was fine by me. The sooner he told his wife, the sooner he would be here, helping my girl.

I closed my phone and put it back in my pocket, wrapping my arms tighter around her while she slept. I sighed and snuggled her closer to me and I breathed in her luscious scent. She smelled so delicious, but not in a way that I would ever want to hurt her.

_I wonder if I should start hunting animals. _I couldn't help but think that it would be better if I did, but maybe I should ask Bella what she thought about my hunting preferences. I would talk to her after she woke up and find out what she thought. At least with Jasper here I would know if she was lying about my hunting ways.

But, I had a feeling that she would never ask me to change my ways. Maybe, I should just change my hunting ways without asking her. No, I would find out what she thought first. The hours passed slowly, too slowly. Finally, I smelled him coming and I was almost relieved.

When I heard him approach the house, I spoke only for him to hear, "The window is unlocked, just climb up."

He climbed up the side of the house and opened the window. He came through the window and looked from me to Bella. He had a pained look on his face as he approached the bed.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Her emotions. Even in her sleep she is emitting sadness, loneliness, and pain. It's overwhelming the pain and sadness that she is feeling. The loneliness is powerful too. I don't know how to help her," he whispered.

"You're a fucking empath, how can you not know how to help her?" I didn't know why, but his comment just pissed me right the fuck off. He had to be able to help her. I couldn't lose her, I wouldn't.

"I know you want to fix her, I get that and I will do my best to help, but Peter her heart is broken and her emotions are so much stronger than an average humans; helping her may take some time," he said calmly.

"I won't fail at healing her broken heart or fixing her for that matter. I won't." He stared at me for a few moments before he finally nodded his head in agreement. I knew from that look in his eyes that he wouldn't allow me to fail. Somehow we would make my girl better. I pulled her closer to me and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Peter," she whispered in her sleep. She was dreaming about me and knowing that made me even more determined to do whatever it took to make my Bella better.

**So, what did you think? Leave me a review and let me know your thoughts. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first two chapters. You truly inspire me.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I know, I've made everyone wait entirely too long for this chapter and for that I am sorry. I am hoping that I will be able to get more writing done now, but I can't promise anything. I want to thank you all for the reviews, it's overwhelming the response that you're giving me for this story. A huge thank you goes out to my awesome beta, Cullen818. She is on vacation and yet she still beta'd this chapter for me. She is amazing. **

**I own nothing. Enjoy!**

**JPOV**

When I hung up with Peter, Alice was standing there with sadness in her eyes. I opened my arms and she walked into them, clutching me to her. She was already missing me and I hadn't even left yet. We were never apart from each other for more than a day or two and that was for hunting.

"Alice, I'll be back soon," I told her, knowing that I would only be gone for a few days.

"Jasper, you'll be in Forks until I come to join you, but I don't know how long it will be before we are back together."

I sighed, I hated leaving Alice; she was my everything. I kissed her cheek and asked, "Will I be able to help Bella?"

Alice leaned back to look at me with a small smile on her face, "I don't know, but I have faith in you Jasper. If anybody can bring her out of this, it's you. Now, go. Help her, she needs you."

I gave my wife a kiss and grabbed the bag that she had packed for me. I made my way to the door and left. I decided to run because I hated driving. After running for hours without stopping, I finally saw the sign informing me that I had arrived in Forks.

I headed straight for Bella's house. I figured the sooner I got there, the sooner I could start helping. _I hoped. _The thought of helping her quickly disappeared when I got close to her house. The emotions that she was emitting were so powerful that I had to stop for a moment, trying to gain control.

I took a deep breath, hoping that would help and began running again. When I got in her back yard, I stopped for a minute, but then Peter said, "The window is unlocked, just climb up."

I climbed up the side of the house and opened the window and was immediately assaulted with her delicious scent. I had to swallow back the venom and remember what I was doing here. Once inside, I looked at Bella and my expression was enough to cause Peter some alarm.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Her emotions. Even in her sleep she is emitting sadness, loneliness, and pain. It's overwhelming the pain and sadness that she is feeling. The loneliness is powerful too. I don't know how to help her," I whispered.

"You're a fucking empath, how can you not know how to help her?" he growled out at me. He was pissed and he a right to be, but I truly didn't know how to help her.

"I know you want to fix her, I get that and I will do my best to help, but Peter her heart is broken and her emotions are so much stronger than an average humans; helping her may take some time," I told him calmly.

"I won't fail at healing her broken heart or fixing her for that matter. I won't." I stared at Peter for a few minutes before I finally nodded my head in agreement. I wouldn't allow him to fail when it came to making Bella better; I just had to figure out exactly how I was going to pull this off.

I watched as he pulled Bella closer to him and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. When she whispered Peter's name in her sleep, the happiness and love coming from Peter was a nice contrast to Bella's heart wrenching emotions.

I decided to start helping Bella by trying to manipulate her emotions. I sent her some calming and peaceful vibes and for a minute it seemed to be working, but nothing is as it ever seems.

In a matter of seconds every emotion in the room changed; starting with Bella's. The calm and peace that I sent her was quickly replaced with the sadness, loneliness, and pain, but there was a new emotion; fear. I looked at her and noticed that her eyes were open and she was staring right at me.

Peter turned to look at Bella and upon seeing her eyes open he smiled, but that soon faded when he saw the look in her eyes and the way she was staring at me.

"Bella," Peter whispered. "It's okay, Jasper is only here to help."

She sat up and scooted further away from me, but continued to stare. The longer she looked, the more her curiosity began to build. She may have been afraid of me, but that didn't stop her from wondering what I was doing here.

"Bella, please don't be afraid of me," I told her. "I'm not going to hurt you. I am so sorry for what happened at your birthday party. If it hadn't been for me and my fucked up bloodlust issues than you and…" she cut me off before I could finish.

She shook her head no, "I don't blame you Jasper and I'm not afraid of you."

"But I feel fear coming from you."

"I know, but that's because I'm afraid that the rest of them are going to show up and I can't deal with that right now," she said in a shaky voice.

Peter wrapped her in his arms, pulling her in his lap and for the first time I realized that it wasn't just Edward leaving that broke her; it was all of us leaving. She loved every one of us, even Rosalie. _What did we do to her?_

"The rest of my family aren't coming, Bella. Alice," I stopped because I noticed when I said Alice's name she became angry. _What was that all about?_ I wanted to ask her, but before I had the chance, she gave me the information I was seeking.

"Alice," she scoffed. "Of, course the one that I thought was my best friend wouldn't even come to check on me. That's what you are doing here, right? Checking on me? None of you said goodbye to me, so why are you here now?" She asked.

I stood there speechless for a moment, watching the tears slide down her cheeks. I wanted to manipulate her emotions again, but I didn't think that would be a good idea. The longer I remained quiet, the angrier she got.

"Well, don't you have anything to say?" she yelled.

"Bella, you'll wake your father," Peter reminded her.

"I don't care, I want answers. No, I deserve answers. I loved everyone in your family," she spat. "And you all left without so much as a backwards glance. I was just the insignificant human that you all had to deal with as long as Edward wanted a pet."

"No," it was my turn to cut her off. "You think we all left without looking back or that it was easy? It broke Alice's heart to leave you. You are her best friend and she misses you every day, so does the rest of my family. Even Rosalie misses you."

"I don't believe you. I may not blame you for Edward leaving me because what happened at my birthday party was not your fault, it was mine. But, I do blame all of you for not saying goodbye to me," she whispered, all traces of anger gone.

"Edward wouldn't allow it," I tried to defend my family.

"Edward wouldn't allow it? Do you hear yourself? You make it sound like he controls all of you. You all had a choice, but in the end you all listened to him. I don't care what he said, what did you think should have been done?" She asked me.

I knew what should have been done; we should have told her we were leaving, not just disappeared. "I'm sorry, Bella. That night of your birthday party, after I tried to attack you; when I got outside I took off running and I didn't go back. Alice came after me and I told her I needed to get away for a while, so she decided to come with me," I paused for a second, trying to clear my head of that horrible evening.

I took a deep unneeded breath and continued, "She had a vision of Edward leaving you and when she told me of his decision, I told her to go back and stop him so she went home. When she came back she was so sad and so broken. He wouldn't allow her to tell you goodbye because he said you needed a clean break."

"A clean break?" she whispered so low that I barely heard her. "He told me that in the woods, told me that you and Alice were already gone."

"I was, yes. Alice came back to stop Edward from leaving you and when she couldn't stop him, she begged him to allow her some time with you before she left, but he wouldn't let her. He said that you needed to be left alone; he even told Alice not to look for you in visions anymore." I told her with all honesty, hoping that she believed me.

"Has she had any visions of me?" Bella asked.

I shook my head, "Only of you and Peter. She saw him trying to help you, but she doesn't try to look for you. When she does see you, it's very painful for her."

"I miss her so much," she cried. "I lost everything when you all left. I didn't just lose the love of my life, I lost a whole family. A family that I wanted to be a part of; a family that I would have done anything for." Then so softly she added, "I still would."

"Bella, you need to know that my family feels the same way about you. We all love you and miss you very much." I told her as I took a few steps towards her and Peter.

"Even Rosalie?" she smiled.

I couldn't help but smile too. "Yes, even Rosalie."

Somehow I knew that in the end I would be able to help her; I just hoped that when the rest of my family returned, it wouldn't send her back into the abyss that she is currently wading in. I began to wonder just what Edward would do if he knew I was here, sitting in Bella's bedroom.

Peter looked at me, smirking. "What are you thinking about over there?"

"I was just wondering what Edward would think if he knew I was here, with Bella." I said with a shrug.

"Edward doesn't know you're here?" Bella asked.

"No, he doesn't. He isn't staying with the family right now."

Peter raised an eyebrow in question, "Where did he go?"

"I don't know," I answered.

"Why did he leave?" Bella asked.

"He said he couldn't handle everyone's thoughts. We were all thinking about you and missing you. He may have told us to leave you alone, but he couldn't stop our thoughts and he couldn't block what we were thinking. He also didn't like the looks that we were giving him."

"How were you all looking at him?" Peter questioned.

I sighed, "With pity."

"Why pity him?" Peter snapped.

"He just left Bella, his soul mate. He loved her and left her," I told him, matter-of-factly.

Bella shook her head no, "He told me he didn't love me anymore."

I growled low in my chest, "He may have told you that, but I met up with them in the new house before Edward left and he very much still loved you. He was feeling guilt too, but I never found out what that was about. He left before I had a chance to ask him."

Peter rolled his eyes, "He should be feeling guilty. If Bella was his soul mate then he shouldn't have been able to leave her. It just doesn't make sense, what was his reason for leaving? What did he tell your family?"

"He said that he wanted Bella to live a normal human life, free from our world. He wanted her to get married and have children," I told them.

Bella scoffed, "That's not true, he didn't want me anymore. He told me so in the woods. Edward said he didn't love me. He told me he was tired of pretending to be something that he wasn't. I don't care what he told you or the rest of your family; he was no longer in love with me."

By the time she finished speaking, she was sobbing and Peter was glaring at me. I mouthed _I'm sorry_ and he just nodded. I pushed a small wave a calm around the room and Bella looked up at me and gave me a small smile.

"I'm sorry Bella. I didn't mean to upset you. I came here to help and I only seem to be making things worse." I looked at the window and then back, wondering if I should just go home.

"Jasper, don't you even think about leaving," Peter said sternly.

"Jasper, I don't want you to go. Please stay," Bella pleaded with me.

I nodded, "Alright, I'll stay. I need to go to the house and drop off my stuff and I really need to go hunting. Peter, would you care to join me?"

"Oh, I shouldn't leave Bella here alone. I…"

"No, Peter. It's okay. I think you should go. Are you going to hunt animals?" Bella wondered.

His nose wrinkled in distaste and I couldn't help but laugh. Bella smiled and waited for a response. Peter finally relented after a few moments and agreed to go hunting with me, but he said we would have to make it a quick trip.

Peter gave Bella a kiss on the cheek and climbed out of bed. We went to the window and before we jumped out we both turned to look at her to let her know that we would be back. She nodded and moved to lie back down.

I jumped out the window and Peter followed. We ran to the house so I could drop off my bag and then we took off on our hunt. I quickly picked up the scent of a herd of deer and some mountain lions in the distance.

I motioned for Peter to go after the deer, but he looked hesitant so I took the lead and let him follow, which he did. After the both of us drained two deer, we decided to head back to Bella's.

On the way back to Bella's my curiosity got the best of me, "Peter, you didn't tell Bella about our conversations on the phone, did you?"

He stopped running and looked at me. I had past him up when he stopped so suddenly that I had to turn around and make my way back to him. I looked at him in question, wondering why he quit running like that.

"I told her about Victoria," he defended.

"I'm not talking about Victoria, I'm talking about you knowing the reason Edward left. She was too upset when I told her, so I know that she didn't already know about it. What I want to know is why you didn't tell her?"

It didn't make sense, he should have told her, but instead he chose to keep it to himself. I couldn't understand why he just wouldn't tell her what he knew. He told me she belonged in our world, that is was her fate, her destiny. So why not tell her?

"I couldn't hurt her anymore than she already has been. You saw what happened when you told her Edward's reason for leaving, I didn't want to be the cause of that," he told me.

"So, instead I'm the cause of her reaction," I understood where he was coming from, but he could have warned me that he didn't tell her. "Peter, I know you want to protect her, I get that, but she had a right to know."

"And what did it change, Jasper? He made choices for her; he broke her heart, and took a family away from her. Where was her choice in the matter? He's not her soul mate, he can't be," his voice cracked when he said that Edward couldn't be Bella's soul mate.

_Could I have been wrong about Edward and Bella being soul mates? No, I'm an empath, I have to be right. _But, what if I was wrong? What if Peter was always meant to be Bella's soul mate?

"You love her," it wasn't a question though, it was a statement. I could feel the love he had for her and it was as strong as the love I felt for Alice.

"I do," he said. "The love I have for her gets stronger every day. Leaving her to go hunting is difficult. I wait for long periods of time in between hunts because I have to be with her all the time."

I nodded, "I know the feeling. Leaving Alice to come here was extremely difficult. I don't like being separated from her either. It's the pull of the mate to be with them," I explained.

"This is stronger than what I felt when I was with Charlotte."

I contemplated that for a moment before speaking, "Maybe Bella is your soul mate and she yours. That would explain the strength of your feelings for her."

"Does Bella feel anything for me?" He asked.

"I know she cares for you, but I don't know how deep that goes," I told him. I was so focused on the pain that she was feeling that I honestly wasn't sure if she felt anything for him. I knew she cared for him, you could see it in her eyes.

"Will you try to focus on what she feels for me when we get back? I have to know," be pleaded.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Good, now let's back. I miss her." And with that he took off again, running faster than before. We ran as fast as we could and on the way back, Peter told me about his run in with Victoria. She may have gotten away this time around, but she wouldn't be so lucky next time. I would make sure of that.

When we got back to Bella's house, Peter didn't even slow his pace as he climbed up the side of her house and went through the window. I followed after him and when I got inside, he already had her in his arms, holding her to his chest.

I focused in on Bella's emotions and sure enough, she did love him. It was just buried underneath all the pain she was experiencing, but it was there. I smiled knowing that when I called Alice later, she would be happy knowing that Bella and Peter loved each other.

Peter looked up at me when I moved to sit in the rocking chair in the corner, so I whispered so low that Bella couldn't hear, "She loves you." The smile on his face could have lit up the whole room. His happiness over my statement was overwhelming and it took every ounce of control that I had not to project it throughout the room.

The hope I had of Peter and I being capable of fixing Bella grew and I knew that one day, she would be happy again and she would be one of us. I didn't need Alice's visions to know that much. I just knew.

**Okay, so what did you think? Was it the worth the wait? I'll do my best to get another chapter out a lot faster. **


	5. Chapter 5

***Peers out to see if I still have readers for this story* Okay, for those of you that are still reading this story, I have to say that I am so so sorry for taking an inconsiderate amount of time to update. I am horrible and I truly am sorry. I hope this chapter makes up for the months of waiting.**

**Disclaimer: Plotline is mine, the characters sadly are not.**

**A huge, massive thanks goes to my bestie and beta Cullen818, without her, you'd be reading a story with a fuck load of errors, but now it's all sparkly and shit. Enjoy!**

BPOV

It was hard to take in everything that Jasper told me. I couldn't, for the life of me, believe that Edward still loved me. Why would he leave if he still loved me? He wouldn't, would he? Then again he was a masochist so maybe he was enjoying the pain of a broken heart.

No, I couldn't believe that, I wouldn't believe that. He didn't love me anymore, maybe he never loved me. That would make more sense than him loving me once to not loving me so suddenly. The more I thought about Edward and the things Jasper told me, the sicker I felt.

I climbed out of bed and quietly made my way downstairs. I knew Charlie was a heavy sleeper, but I still didn't want to wake him up. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass out of the cabinet. I filled the cup with water and turned to lean against the counter.

I sipped the water slowly and thought about Peter. I missed him so much when he would leave to go hunting. It made me feel better to be awake when he left instead of waking up to him being gone. When he wasn't here with me though, the thoughts of being alone would creep in and the fear of never seeing him again would make my heart ache.

Closing my eyes, I thought about how I felt when I was in Peter's arms and how warm and tingly he made me feel when he would kiss my cheek. I quickly finished my water and after placing the glass in the sink, made my way back up to my bedroom. Climbing in my bed, I snuggled under the covers and waited, not so patiently for Peter to return.

I was facing the window because I wanted to watch as he came into my room. I could feel my eyes wanting to close, but I fought sleep as much as possible. The moment he was back in my room, I was in his arms, where I belonged. He held me close and I allowed my eyes to close this time, but only because he was back with me.

I breathed in and for the first time since I met Peter, I realized that he didn't smell like any of the Cullen's. In fact, I couldn't smell anything at all. _Hmm, that's odd._

"Peter, why don't you smell sweet to me?" I asked.

He chuckled, "I don't have a scent."

I raised my head and looked at him in utter confusion, but before I could ask him why, Jasper started laughing.

"Don't look so confused, Bella. Peter was one smelly fucker as a human, so it's a damn good thing he didn't take that horrible trait with him when he became a vampire."

Jasper was laughing the entire time he was telling me that Peter smelled when he was still human. I turned to look at Jasper and I could tell that he was serious even though he was shaking with laughter.

I was shocked; I just couldn't believe that Jasper was telling me the truth. I turned to look at Peter once more for conformation. He simply smiled and nodded his head.

"So, because you smelled bad as a human, you don't have a scent as a vampire?" I asked. I found it funny that his scent worked out that way. I guess Jasper was right; it was a damn good thing that Peter hadn't taken that trait with him into the afterlife. Before I could stop myself, a giggle slipped through my lips.

Peter's smile grew and he pulled me tighter against his chest. "That's the first time I've ever heard your laugh. It's such a beautiful sound. I hope to hear it more often."

I smiled because I too hadn't heard myself laugh in so long and it was a sound that I wanted to hear more often as well. I knew with Peter in my life I could be happy, but what would I do if he decided that I was no longer good enough to spend time with? Would I be able to survive being left again? No, I knew that I wouldn't make it if he chose to leave me too.

The thought of him walking out of my life and never coming back bought this horrible feeling over me. I wanted to scream and beg him to never leave me, but before I could even voice my thoughts, Jasper was sitting on the edge of the bed giving me a concerned look.

"I can feel what you are feeling, empath remember?" I nodded. "Don't feel that way?"

"What way?" Peter asked.

Jasper looked at me once again before answering Peter's question. "She is feeling dread, heartache, immense amounts of pain and fear."

Peter clutched me tighter to his chest. "What do you fear? Is it me? Are you afraid of me?"

My heart broke at him thinking I was afraid of him. I knew that I would have to explain my feelings to him, but what would I say? Should I tell him the truth? It wasn't like I could lie with an empath in my room. So, truth it was, I suppose.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself so I could tell Peter what was bothering me. I couldn't help but wonder what he would think about me after he heard my concerns. Would he still look at me the same way? Would he push me away in disgust? Would he laugh at me? I shook my head, trying to get rid of all these nagging thoughts but it didn't work.

I looked to Jasper asking him with my eyes to help calm me and a few seconds later I felt a large wave of calm embrace me. I smiled my thanks and turned to look at Peter. I braced myself for his reaction and then allowed the words to flow freely.

"I'm afraid that the time will come when you no longer feel I'm worthy of your time. I fear that you'll up and leave me just as Edward did and I know I wouldn't survive the heartache, not again."

As I finished speaking, I could feel a lump rising in my throat and I tried to swallow it. Before I had a chance to worry about Peter's reaction, his lips were on mine. He kissed me something fierce and I relished in the fact that I had never been kissed this way before. When he finally pulled back, he held my face in his hands and stared into my eyes and in that very moment, I realized just how much I loved him.

PPOV

When Bella told me what she was afraid of, I didn't know what to say, so I did the only thing I could think to do at the time. I kissed her and it wasn't one of those soft, sweet kisses either. No, I kissed her fiercely and I poured all the love I had for her in that kiss. When I finally pulled back to allow her to breathe, I held her face in my hands and stared into her eyes. The moment our eyes connected, I could see just how much she loved me.

"Bella, I won't leave you and I'm certainly not Edward." I had to take an unneeded breath to calm myself because I didn't want to frighten her, but I couldn't allow her to compare me to that piece of shit. "I'm not him and I won't do anything to ever hurt you, okay?"

She nodded, but I could still see some uncertainty in her eyes. It was now or never, I had to tell her how much she truly meant to me. I couldn't stop the smile that appeared slowly on my face as I thought about how much I loved her and how much I wanted her with me forever. I just hoped she wanted to be with me forever too, because I didn't want to live a day without her by my side.

Before I could say anything, Jasper cleared his throat to gain our attention. We both turned to look at him and I raised an eyebrow at him, just wondering what the fuck he could want right now.

He smiled sheepishly, "I'm going to go to the house and give you two some privacy to talk, but I'll come back in the morning once Chief Swan has left for work. I'll see later Bella. Peter, take care of her."

He walked to the window and as he was about to jump out, I spoke up. "I'll take care of her, you have my word. See you in the morning." And with that he was gone.

I turned back to Bella and she was looking at me expectantly. I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers for the briefest of moments and then pulled back. I had to tell her that I loved her and then I could kiss her all I wanted, so long as she didn't mind that is.

"I need you to understand just how I feel about you. What I feel for you will never go away, nor do I want it to. I'm in love with you and I want to spend the rest of eternity with you. I will never leave you because being away from you is painful. It kills me to go hunting without having you by my side and if it were safe for you, I'd gladly take you with me."

Bella had this huge smile on her face that lit up her eyes, she was truly magnificent. Her beauty nearly took my breath away and that was surely no easy feat since I didn't need to breathe.

"I love you Bella Swan and I hope that one day you'll love me too," I told her sincerely as I leaned in to kiss her once again. I would never tire of kissing her and I would spend forever showing her just how much I loved her.

Just as my lips touched hers she whispered, "I love you too, Peter. I love you so much and I want to be with you forever. It hurts me so much when you go hunting, but it hurts even more when you leave and I'm sleeping. I fear that you won't come back."

"I'll always come back. Wherever you are, that is where I belong, forever." I crashed my lips to hers and held her close to my body. I ran my tongue along her lower lip, begging her to allow me to explore her mouth. She gasped when she felt my tongue and I took that opportunity to plunge my tongue into her hot mouth.

I groaned at the taste of her. She was delectable and I couldn't believe that I waited this long to finally do this. As I continued to explore Bella's mouth, I suddenly felt her hands wrap around my neck and her fingers entwined in my hair. She pulled my face closer to hers and we lost ourselves in the kiss.

Bella moved her mouth away to catch her breath, but I didn't let that deter me. I trailed open mouthed kisses over her jaw and then down her neck, stopping to suck on her throbbing pulse. She moaned and I took that as confirmation for me to continue.

I trailed my kisses back up her neck and across her cheek until I reached her mouth again. She kissed me eagerly and when she slid her tongue out of her mouth and nearly into mine, I pulled back for a moment. She looked at me with disappointment in her eyes, but I didn't give her a chance to say anything.

"Be careful of my teeth, okay?" She nodded and pulled my face back to hers. As soon as our lips met, she shoved her tongue in my mouth and let it tangle with mine. I rolled over onto my back and pulled Bella with me until she was lying completely on top of me.

I probably shouldn't have done that because she was surely going to feel my erection. My thought was short lived because Bella was suddenly rubbing her warm center against my aching cock. I knew that I needed to stop this, but when she moved her lips along my jaw and down my neck, all thoughts of stopping our encounter went out the window.

Bella's warm hands travelled down my chest and reached the end of my shirt. She slowly moved her hand under my shirt and her touch was like fire to my cold skin, but the feeling was enough to cause me to begin purring.

"Peter," Bella moaned. "I want to feel you, take your shirt off."

She sat up and I followed suit, quickly removing my shirt. She stared at my naked chest for a moment before leaning down to kiss me again. I flipped us over and hovered over her, looking at her hungrily.

"My shirt is gone now, I think your shirt should come off too," I smirked. She smiled and raised her arms above her head. I had the offending garment off at vampire speed and took a moment to admire her beautiful breasts that were still hidden from me.

I moved over her again, supporting myself on my forearms and placed a kiss above her breast, right over her heart. She breathed in deeply and exhaled in a sexy moan. I held my weight off her with one arm and used my free hand to pull her bra forward and down, freeing one of her perky breasts. I took the nipple in my mouth and sucked on it, teasing it with my tongue.

Bella shoved her hands in my hair and held me in place. I wasn't planning on moving anytime soon, but feeling her touch me was amazing. I switched the hand I was supporting myself with and pulled her bra down over her other breast and paid it the same treatment her right one received.

Bella began writhing under me, creating the most delicious friction to my painful erection. Her tiny hands made their way down my side and to the front of my pants. After she fumbled with the button for a few seconds, she finally unbuttoned my jeans and lowered the zipper.

Her hand slowly made its way into my pants and just as her fingers grazed my cock, I heard her father get out of bed. I froze and ceased my ministrations on her nipple. I pulled my head back to find Bella looking at me with a puzzled expression on her beautifully flushed face.

"Charlie's awake," I whispered. "We have to get you decent and then you have to pretend to be asleep while I hide in your closet."

She nodded and I placed a quick kiss on her lips before jumping up and after grabbing my shirt, I walked over to her closet. Bella watched me as she slid her bra back into place, hiding her breasts from me once again. She lifted her shirt and pulled it back on; lying down feigning sleep just as I shut the closet door and Charlie opened her bedroom door.

He lingered in the doorway for a moment before I heard the door close again and before Bella could open her eyes, I was back in the bed with her. She smiled and then closed the distance between us, kissing me until she was breathless. I helped her to lay back and pulled her into my chest. She closed her eyes and was asleep moments later.

After Charlie left, Jasper appeared through the window and took one look at me and then at Bella and shook his head. I cocked an eyebrow at him wondering what the fuck his problem was.

"You couldn't wait for me to leave so you could ravish her, could you?" He chuckled and walked to the rocking chair to sit down.

"It wasn't like that." I tried to defend myself and for what reason was beyond me because I knew as well as he did that I was lying. I wanted that fucker to leave so I could do exactly what I did to Bella once we were alone and I couldn't wait to be alone with her again, for I fully intended to ravish her every fucking chance I was given.

He rolled his eyes. "Sure. That was the worst lie ever, Peter. I mean come on man, look at her hair. She was obviously ravished or she got into a fight with a hair brush and lost."

It was my turn to roll my eyes at him. "That wasn't a hair brush, that was all me," I told him rather cockily.

He smirked and then looked at me seriously for a moment, "Don't hurt her. She finally is at peace. The pain that she was feeling is still there, but it's buried deep under all the love she feels for you. If you hurt her, I'll personally dismember you."

I nodded. "You won't have to worry about me hurting her. I would never do anything to cause her any amount of pain." I knew he could feel the truth and sincerity in my words.

"Good." And just like that our conversation ended and we both sat there quietly waiting rather impatiently, at least on my part, for Bella to wake up. It was nearly noon when she began to stir and that was probably my fault since I couldn't seem to keep still. I was a fidgeting vampire waiting on his human girlfriend to wake up.

_Girlfriend. _I definitely like the sound of that. Bella's eyes opened and she turned to look at me before lifting her head to kiss me.

She pulled back and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Bella."

"Well, now that you two love birds have kissed and said I love you to each other, do you think we could head downstairs now?" Jasper asked, sounding rather annoyed.

Bella giggled. "Aww what's wrong Jasper? You don't like watching me kiss Peter?"

"Not really, but I am happy to see you smiling. Now, come on, get out of bed. I want to go watch some TV or something."

We climbed out of bed and made our way downstairs. Bella went into the kitchen to make herself some breakfast while Jasper and I began looking for something to watch. I listened to my girl hum a tune as she cooked some food that smelled rather disgusting before she finally joined us in the living room.

Bella sat down next to me and looked at Jasper asking him around a mouthful of food, "What are we watching?"

Jasper grimaced and I chuckled, but my laughter died down when I got this strange feeling that we were being watched. I looked out the window, but I didn't see anything. I told Jasper my concerns at vampire speed and he got up and walked out the back door, leaving Bella and I alone.

"Where did he go?" Bella asked.

"He'll be right back; he just went to check on something."

"Check on what?" she asked, looking very concerned. She placed her plate on the table and waited for me to explain things to her. I, on the other hand, refused to tell her anything until Jasper confirmed or denied my strange feeling of being watched.

"You were right," Jasper said as he walked back in the living room. "I could smell her out there, but I didn't see her anywhere."

"Smell who?" Bella looked at me, expectantly.

"Victoria." Jasper and I answered her at the same time.

She just stared at me, not saying anything and then the tears began sliding down her cheeks. I pulled her in my lap and held her, telling her over and over that no harm was going to come to her. I would find that bitch and kill her before she had an inkling of a chance to touch my Bella. I wouldn't allow any vile creature to take her away from me. I would torture the stupid son-of-a-bitch who ever tried and Victoria was my next target.

**So am I forgiven? I hope so. For those of you that read A Forbidden Love, I have begun the next chapter so hopefully that means my bestie, beta will be receiving it in a few days. Okay, so don't flame me for ending this chapter in a cliffie, I have my reasons for ending this chapter this way. Would anybody be interested in a chapter in Edward POV? Are ya'll wondering what he's been up to or if he knows where Jasper's at? Let me know when you press that little button down there or you can PM me. **


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